The Campaign: In the Spirit of the Republic
no. 009
To all those committed to the promise of civic life, my warmest greetings, and an apology for the delay in updating you during this campaign. While much has taken place behind the scenes—some of it strategic and not yet ready for public view—I can share with you now the steady and often unseen labor of navigating a constitutional republic in action.
Filing the necessary paperwork and constructing a campaign website—tasks I’ve grown familiar with from my time in business—have proven no less burdensome in politics. The cost has been high, both in dollars and hours. To their credit, the Riverside County Registrar of Voters made portions of the process manageable, and I’m grateful for that. Still, forms like California’s Form 410 and Form 460 demanded revisions, signatures, resubmissions, and an unending trail of emails and scans. Republicanism, it turns out, still runs on toner cartridges and patience.
There was the challenge of signatures—143 required to reduce the $1,300 filing fee and secure a place on the ballot. The law may seem modest, but the labor is not. Some people aren’t registered, others live outside the district, and more still—good, honest people—carry a past that disqualifies them. At shopping centers and sidewalks, we were turned away, harassed, and told to leave. It’s one thing to ask for support, another to do so in a space that has forgotten the meaning of the public square.
And then there was the candidate statement—perhaps the most critical piece of literature voters will see. It cost $3,600 to publish, paid upfront by check. The price of speech, it seems, is not always free. If I have to pay this much for “free speech,” I have no choice but to be loud!
Still, I have pressed on—talking to friends, appearing at events, and speaking online—because I’ve found something both troubling and true: politics, once the people’s sport, has become taboo. Once, Americans wrote pamphlets, gathered in town halls, and dared to speak their minds—the people, places, and events in this country I teach about in the classroom. Now, many fear it. They fear losing customers, alienating friends, or being cast out of polite society. More than any opponent, that fear is the greatest obstacle I’ve encountered.
And yet, in that silence, I found a message I hadn’t planned. “Let’s focus on what we have in common.” During a video shoot, the words arrived unannounced as if carried on the wind. I’ve come to believe that they matter more than I realized.
As a teacher of U.S. and California history, I’ve long held that transparency is the cornerstone of self-government. Jefferson believed that sunlight was the best disinfectant, and the First Amendment—our freedom to speak, assemble, and petition—was born not of convenience, but of conviction. To govern well, we must talk freely. And to speak freely, we must first trust one another.
That’s why I’ve refrained from attacks. My fellow candidates are not my enemies—they are neighbors and partners in this grand experiment. Whoever is chosen must serve with clarity, honesty, and accountability.
One moment stands out among all the busy distractions of the campaign: last night at Corona City Hall, I introduced myself not as a politician, but as a citizen. I was moved, before ever stepping to the podium, by the young members of the Mayor’s Youth Council receiving recognition for their engagement in city government. Later, adults were honored for the same. Citizens learning about their government, I applaud our city officials here in Corona for those programs. It reminded me why I entered this race—to expand that spirit statewide and bring light into the Capitol. If we all do this, we will have stronger, more connected, and more accountable politicians and citizens.
So here, at this turning point in the campaign, I leave you with this: we must speak again. Speak of the burdens we bear, the dreams we hold, the roads that need mending—not just of asphalt, but of trust. The time has come to reclaim our civic voice—not through slogans or soundbites but through shared purpose.
For what we have in common is far greater than what divides us.
Email: voteromo@gmail.com
